Retractable cover for vehicle head lamps



Patented Oct. 3, 1950 RETRAOTABLE COVER FOR VEHICLE HEAD LAMPS DonaldMitchell Healey, Leamington Spa, England, assignor to ingham, EnglandApplication February 18,

In Great Britain N Section 1, Public L Patent expires 1 Claim.

This invention relates to vehicle head lamp mountings, and has for itsobject to provide an improved arrangement which conforms with the designof the vehicle body and minimses wind resistance.

In the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings:

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a head lamp mounting embodyingthe invention and showing the front cover in its open position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure l but showing the frontcover in its closed position.

In carrying the invention into effect as shown, I employ a sheet metalor other housing a adapted to contain a head lamp b of any suitableform. Ihe housing a has an open front surrounded by a narrow ange orflanges c whereby the housing can be welded or otherwise secured to, andbehind an opening in, a front mud wing d or other convenient part of thevehicle body.

Within the housing a is mounted a sheet metal or other cover e forclosing the open front of the housing. The cover is secured to or formedin part by a bridge piece f which is pivotally supported on a horizontalaxis by fixed trunnions as g on the upper ends of a pair of brackets hat opposite sides of the housing, the lower ends of the brackets beingadjustably or otherwise secured to the base of the housing. The cover eis movable about its pivot axis between the closed position shown inFigure 2 and the Open position shown in Figure l. When in its openposition the cover e is substantially horizontal and serves to interceptupward light rays from the lamp b, thereby assisting in preventingdazzle. Moreover, the cover e is shaped so that when in its closedposition it conforms with the contour of the mud wing d or other part ofthe vehicle body, and thereby minimises wind resistance.

For retaining the cover e in its closed position, I employ a catch yadapted to enter an opening lc in the periphery of a anged disc msecured to one side of the bridge piece f, the axis of this disc beingcoincident with the pivot axis of the cover. The catch :i is movable toits operative position by any convenient loading spring (not shown), andis retractible against the action of this spring by an electromagnet n,the catch and the electromagnet being made as a unitary structure whichis adjustably or otherwise secured to the adjacent bracket h. Thecircuit containing the winding of the electromagnet n is preferablyconnected to the circuit containing the head lamp b so that when thelatter is brought into use the catch :i is

Joseph Lucas Limited, Birm- 1946, Serial No.l 648,489 ovember 27, 1944aiv 69o, August s, 1946 November 27, 1964 (Cl. .M0-7.1)

retracted. The circuit of the electromagnet n. may also contain a pairof complementary contacts o which are closed by a resilient arm p whenthe cover e is in its closed position, but which are opened by the armwhen the cover is in its open position, the arm serving to carry one ofthe contacts. At one end the arm p is secured to a iixed anchorage q inthe housing a, and at the other end is adapted to bear against theperiphery of the iianged disc m, the arrangement being such that whenthe cover e is in its closed position the arm serves under the pressureexerted on it by the periphery of the disc to close the contacts o, butwhen the cover is in its open position the opening lc in the discperiphery allows the arm to open the contacts. Preferably the contacts oare contained in a protective casing r within the housing a.

For moving the cover e to its open position when the catch y' isretracted,v I employ a spiral spring s enclosed by another anged disc twhich is coaxial with, but is secured to the side of the bridge piece fremote from, the first mentioned disc m, the spiral spring beinganchored at one end to the periphery of the associated flanged disc andat the other end to the adjacent fixed trunnion y. When the catch y' isretracted the cover e is automatically moved by the spiral spring s toits open position, this position being determined by contact of aperipheral projection u on the flanged disc t with a rubber or otherresilient stop v adjustably or otherwise secured to the housing a.Return movement -of the cover e to its closed position is eiected byhand.

The head lamp b is pivotally supported at diametrically oppositepositions by a cradle w which is adjustably or otherwise secured to thebase o1 the housing a, and which carries a resilient and adjustable clipor the like r whereby the head lamp can be held against pivotal movementin the cradle.

The cover e may be formed with a small aperture which may be closed bytransparent or translucent material !2 to provide the parking light.

By this invention I am able to mount vehicle head lamps in unobstructivepositions without interfering with the smooth curves of the vehiclebody.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A vehicle head lamp mounting comprising the combination of a lamphousing adapted to be accommodated in the vehicle body, a pivotallysupported cover adapted when in its closed position to close the frontof said housing and conform with the shape of the vehicle body, a angeddisc arranged coaxially with the pivot axis of and attached to saidcover at one side thereof, a spiral. spring enclosed by said anged discand having its ends respectively anchored to said disc and housing sothat said spring serves to move said cover to its open position, aflanged member attached to said cover at the side remote from saidflanged disc, and an electromagnetically retractible catch arranged toco-operate With said fianged member for retaining said cover n itsclosed position, said catch being operable by the occupant of thevehicle.

DONALD MITCHELL HEALEY.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,321,418 Cave Nov. 11, 19191,801,864 Hutchinson Apr. 21, 1931 1,993,127 Voltz Mar. 5, 19352,312,005 Smith Feb. 23, 1943 2,324,742 Voorhees et a1 July 20, 19432,360,530 Voorhees et a1 Oct. 17, 1944 2,362,110 Meyerhoefer Nov. 7,1944 2,378,268 Warrington June 12, 1945 2,384,362 Anderson Sept. 4, 19452,388,788 Kuschel et a1 Nov. 13, 1945 2,394,126 Warrington Feb. 5, 1946

